Terminids are a near-constant tidal wave of creepy crawlies that will come at you with no mercy in Helldivers 2. That sounds understandably chaotic and nightmarish, but you can't just sidestep them since they can be part of your daily challenges. The only solid choice you have is to master how to beat the Terminids.
Terminids are among the most overwhelming adversaries to deal with in Helldivers 2, given their sheer numbers and strength. You might find Terminids vastly harder to deal with than automatons on higher difficulty levels, though that isn't taking away from how formidable the likes of Devastators are. But because of increasingly harder spawn rates and waves and waves of bugs and Spore Spewers disrupting your line of sight, Terminids can be nearly impossible to deal with.
If you're wondering how to tackle terminids in missions of varying difficulty levels, this guide will explain how best to terminate the bugs. Before we delve into how to beat the Terminids in Helldivers 2, take a look at our other guides to learn everything you need to know about how to kill Hulks in Helldivers 2 and how to rank up fast.
How to beat Terminids in Helldivers 2
No matter how fast you run or where you hide, Terminids always seem to find you. And when they do, there's no gentle way to deal with them, as they won't deal with you gently either. They are mostly fast and come at you in close combat, so there’s almost no way out once you're surrounded. Beating every Terminid you encounter depends on the levels you're playing at and the types of bugs present.
That means you should come up with different plans as you move through harder levels. You will mostly run into Scavengers, Warriors, and Hunters, especially on the easier difficulty missions. Scavengers are somewhat small and weak, but they often swarm in large numbers. But they are the easiest to take out among all the terminids. You can use any weapons you have available and save the harder-hitting ones for later encounters.
Warriors are much bigger and tougher than Scavengers, but they're slower movers. Target their vulnerable spots like their lower faces with any firearms or rifles. Hunters are also small, which is why they are fast and agile compared to Warriors.
You can use sniper rifles to take them down from a distance, but if they happen to get close, you can use tactical shotguns. You can also throw some grenades at any of those types of Terminids if you're looking to speed up their demise even further.
These are the easiest kills to secure, while medium and higher-difficulty terminids like Bile Titans are where your skills and agility are put to the test. Stalkers deal the least amount of damage compared to other medium and higher-difficulty terminids, though they stand out due to their ability to become invisible. Brood Commanders, Chargers, Bile Spewers, and Titans complete the roster of the most dangerous and armed Terminids.
The best approach is to keep your distance and outsmart them. Use long-range weaponry like railguns or your primary weapons and ensure to aim it at their mouths. You will need heavy support for every Terminid past the level of Stalkers, such as Sentry units like Grenade Launchers or anti-tank weapons aimed at their legs. Employing ordinances such as the Orbital Laser, Orbital Railcannon Strike, or utilizing effective range to achieve a one-shot kill using the Eagle 500 KG Bomb is effective for wiping them out in one go.
That's everything there is to know about how to beat Terminids in Helldivers 2. For more, check out our other guides to give you insight on how to get the SG-8 Punisher and how to unlock Boosters.